Lunch special: Pope lines up for self-serve meal

Pope Francis popped in unannounced at the Vatican workers' cafeteria Friday and lined up, tray in hand, along with stunned diners.

Cashier Claudia Di Giacomo told Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that when Francis presented his tray with a plate of cod, a bowl of fusilli pasta without sauce, a side of grilled tomatoes and "just a few" french fries, she "didn't have the courage to hand him the bill."

Francis chatted with his tablemates -- five Vatican pharmacy stock clerks. His tip? A papal blessing and photos snapped with diners, said the cafeteria chef, Franco Paini.

What would you have him do, lead the Swiss Guard into battle? By the way, why don't YOU do something about the Middle East? Why don't Christian televangelists spend some of their 'upper room' millions do something? You know, put up or shut up!

Kudo's to Pope Francis, in the past I would have rather have had an audience with Willie Nelson than any pope, prior to Pope Francis. Being raised Catholic, I never have seen any reason to meet any other Pope, this man I would go out of my way to see and speak to.

U talk like a paper tiger my friend, just what do U expect the Pope to do, wave his magic wand to stop all the violence throughout the world. U and the misinformed people of the world need to wake up and either get involved in the peace process or quite your piehole.

He stays at the Vatican Guest House in the very room he bunked during the 2013 Conclave of cardinals voting to select the next pope. He was assigned room 201 by lottery at the time and continues to stay there today. He decided not to reside at the Apostloic Palace where popes normally reside but instead chose to mingle with people because as he said in a recent interview, "... I cannot live alone. I must live my life with others."

@mike -- So you think the Pope by not living where Popes before him have lived is necessarily 'not celibate'? Your thoughts are precisely where, calumny, libel and judgementalism originate. And the reason is that bottom feeders, say.. like yourself... only see and interact with other bottom feeders, therefore tending to see and judge everyone else as being as filthy as they are. A Spanish proverb says; "El leon cree que todo son de su condicion!"

I love Pope Francis. But the first thing I noticed when viewing the photos is that only men are eating in the cafeteria. Where are the women? Are the Vatican workers' group a "men only" club? I'm a Catholic but this is just another example of how the Catholic Church disenfranchises women. I appreciate the pope's "down to earth" attitude but perhaps he should remember that 50% of the world is made up of women. That's something the Catholic Church has never seemed to understand or maybe they just don't care.

Only by choice. I am sure he has secretaries who call sycophants at minute notice, but to have lunch with the ones who make him afford his life stile? But again, I hope the Pope was well guarded. We have enough violence already.